Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-07-21
spLEsIc FEVER.
Or. Paqnin has Another Word 10 Say
About the Cattle DISEASE
Now Existing
Here.

es 49, pet5 hss kfs
gentleman who thinks that the State
Veterinarian h nDt doing nil nc should
do has signed bis name TO his articles.
Understanding 10 thoroughly 81 the
physiology, anatomy and pathology,
etc, OF the disease Of domestic ami
mails, he-Mr. j. b. Clark, Of Rush
Hill.-has taken In his hands to pro-
tect the interest OF the community
against the so-called Texas fever, but
better named Splenic fever. now ex-
isting among cattle. ! would not
reply another word to the useless,
but perhaps harmful correspondence,
hut for the fact that he, MI. Clark,
asks questions.
In reply to the first, in which the
gentleman implies that 1t is the State
Veterinarians duty to prevent the
introduction OF Texas cattle In Mis-
souri, when they probably can give
Splenic fever, / say emphatically
no. The State Veterinary Surgeon
act, under which this officer is work.
ing, does not allow him to quarantine
cattle simply because they are from
Texas. They must be known to be
capable of causing a contagious
malsdy, and not until then can tue
Veterinarian do anything towards
having the law enforced in it's full
sense. There are many Southern
cattle that do not give this disease.
Please, therefore, c~riticise the law If
you see fit, and not those charged to
enforce 1t. The officers act carefully
and do not and have allowed dis
semination OF the malady in question.
As to Southern ticks, Mr.. Clark
may have all the opinions he may be
able to gather and publish them. 1t
is not so clearly known, and not at
all proven, that they do not live in
winter IN our climate. And please
remember that we officially treat
contagious diseases according to their
nature and type and nothing more,
irrespective of criticism of parties
who think it their duty to interfere
with those who are doing all in their
power to enforce wisely for the bene-
fit of all, the law under which they
may be acting.
We have done all in our power at
the last regular session of the Legis-
latere to get a law passed to prevent
the introduction of Splenic fever
germ bearing cattle from any dis.
trict where the disease seems to
come from, and we have failed. II
passed the House and two readings
in the Senate, when the Assembly
adjourned.
Now, in conclusion, I will apply te
no more criticisms ; have no time fol
such thing. Mr.. Clark has misun
derstood the matter for reasons un'
known to me /; but he or anybody else
may write and c~riticise and / will d.
my duty according. to the nature o
contagious diseases found and thu
law, for I am positive of my duty an6
know what l am doing, consequent
ly I cannot listen to amy whimsical
ideas thas are published broadcas
when they come from incompetent
sources. For, after all, he who hal
given lis life for years to the study
Of contagious and other diseases
knows better how he should atteni
to them than he who knows apparent
ly no more than the word "Texal
fever" and has given his life to som,
other pursuits than those of pathol
ogy and medicine. 1t is the frs
time in my three years service in
Missouri that / have had to enter into
any such controversy as this, and
see clearly that it Is useless to dis
cuss medical topics with those un
acquainted with the subject they at
tempt to treat 30 deliberately.
Respectfully, PAUL PAouIN.